To ask which country you would not visit again and why?

[travelcat]

I love hearing about travel experiences and am interested in knowing about places you have visited that you wouldn't go back to.

AIBU to ask which country you'd avoid in the future and what specifically made your experience less enjoyable? Was it due to culture, safety, or something else?

We had a similar experience in Wales - we were turned away from a restaurant, despite having a reservation, and it became clear it was because we were black.

Egypt and Turkey, purely for the unwanted attention actually scrap that, harassment was what it was, from leering men. Shame as wouldn't mind going back for the culture and enjoyed the holidays, hotels, food and everything else but the men were awful. I'd love to visit Marrakesh but won't go for the same reason. The men really do see women and young females as fair game and just meat. No joke, one man asked how much for your daughter, we thought it was a joke, no he then went on to tell us how camels the family had and that they could trade these camels and started bartering. We also got kind of stuck in a tea shop where we were browsing and the guy locked the door of the shop and then a few other men appeared. This was Sharm el Sheik not that long ago and I would tell any women to avoid there completely. I've been to many countries that are deemed more dangerous but will never set foot in Egypt or Turkey again.

Had an awful experience in New Orleans and would never go back unfortunately. It was 18 months after Katrina so in hindsight probably too soon, but it seemed like a good idea at the time and they were trying to get tourists back in the city. Never felt so unsafe, it was such a shame because everywhere else in the Deep South was so wonderful and friendly. Just bad timing probably.

Ukraine. For obvious reasons. But I went there several years ago, and it was such a beautiful country.

No desire to return to USA, ever.

Barbados.
Australia
Germany
America

Yes Dubai too. Have holidayed there and lived there and it beggars belief why people holiday there. Soulless, terrible human right - Google Indian workers in Dubai - I have seen it first hand with my own eyes. Full of Brits avoiding tax, boozy brunches with eyes completely closed to the corruption

Oh yes, also Dubai for me as well. My DH loved it. I really did not!

@annaak that's interesting I was in two minds with NOLA. I loved it but couldn't shake the feeling whilst there of feeling unsafe. Definitely not a place I would be out at night on my own. But loved it during the day. I was living in Houston at the time so not exactly unfamiliar with the big city and crime apprehension. There was just something about NOLA I couldn't put my finger on and felt really ready to leave

Having been to both I agree.

Really surprised about this! Everyone goes on about how safe Japan is and feels. Was it everywhere you felt unsafe?

I was lucky I had a US immigration/border officer with a good sense of humour when I traveled to the states. At border control where you show them your passport and answer questions about your stay and how long you’re there for etc. the officer opened my (UK) passport on a random page and said “I’ll only let you in if you can tell me who this guy this”.

I panicked and said “I’m so sorry I don’t know. It looks like George Washington though” 😂 he said “it’s OK m’am I’m just playing with you, you can go through.”

I looked it up afterwards and the guy in the passport was John Harrison inventor of maritime timekeeper.

In my experience the people in Edinburgh Scotland couldn't have been more polite & welcoming. The atmosphere in August during the festival is amazing with visitors from all over the world. It is expensive though especially the good hotels in the city centre.

I hear you @Sorrelia My experience of Tunisia was also pleasant. They were absolute gentlemen there, apart from a few. It was nothing at all like Egyptian men.

I too couldn't stand Vietnam. I got ripped off everywhere I went. I love SE Asia. I've travelled the area extensively. Laos, yes, Thailand, yes, Philippines, yes, Cambodia, yes yes yes. Vietnam. Hell no.

Just to stick up for wales, went there this year and people were lovely, maybe different if you’re Scottish

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Houses_of_Parliament_in_2022_alt_crop.jpg

Urgh. How to ruin the most famous building in the UK.

A once beautiful landmark, now with the eyesore of a cheese slice.

In Superman III, the bad Superman straightened the tower of pisa. That was bloody fiction.

Whose bone headed idea was it to transform Big Ben with a cheese slice?

I can't see its resemblance to cheese at all. Think it looks fine!

I'll be booking flights to Australia in the next couple of days and was planning on stopping in Dubai for one night to break up the journey, now I'm rethinking route if it's as bad as mentioned here.

Me either, doesn’t look that different

I love the restored Big Ben clock face, and actually would like to see the Statue of Liberty restored to its original colour too!

Plus I don't get the cheese slice reference....

OMG that's terrible!

Tunisia, same as lots of others, lecherous men. Vile attitudes to women.

Edited to add: I am natural platinum blonde and the number of random men who were pawing at my hair was awful.

Worst places for sexual harassment - by far - were Tunisia and Egypt. Both absolutely insane, even though I was with my (now) husband who can communicate. Had a hotel owner push me in a room when I was trying to check out, groping me and asking to marry me. Told the police in the street. The policeman also tried to grope me the second DH's back was turned. The police are worse than the public. Things got quite dangerous in the desert because the guide was threatening to kidnap me. I'm not even blonde. In Egypt they were following us around, hiding behind pillars, asking for photos incessantly. To this day, I can't think what they would want with photos. Also no shame at all about trying to rip you off at any opportunity.

Another place I wouldn't go back to is the Pakistan / Afghan border. Men don't actually come up to hassle you there so much - but they just stare silently. It's quite threatening. And they tell you to buy 2 seats on the bus and to sit the back. I was 22 then and travelling with another female. It was just too much - spyholes in hotel room walls. Roof came off the shower and men were looking in at me. Told we could only get in the plane out of Peshawar if we went in a date with the men in the PIA desk ( the weather into the mountains there had been bad and there was a backlog of people waiting to fly). When we got to the village there were no women visible anywhere. They never left the houses. We had to pretend we were married to two men who were French and about 40 and looking for the Yeti. This went on for 3 weeks.

The north of China I would not go back. Freezing and filthy air and just grey grey grey industry everywhere. Everybody smoking on the train. Minus 15 degrees.

We can't go to Iran as they probably wouldn't let DH out again and we don't want to go anyway because they were political asylum seekers decades ago and will never return sadly.

The Cape Verde Islsnds, The island we were on was practically empty. Nothing there at all except a few hotels,

Everywhere else has been good in balance.